FIGHTING THE FREEZE

Claire Karwowski uncovers nature's wildest ways of fighting the winter freeze.

- Claire Karwowski uncovers nature's wildest ways of fighting the winter freeze.

When a chilly winter morning strikes, do you put on some fluffy socks? Or are you stocking up on hot chocolate? Perhaps you like the warmer weather and dream of escaping to a tropical beach? Whether snowfall makes you smile, or the thought of dark days sends you right back to bed, take a look out of the window. The natural world is reacting in similar ways. From toughing out icy winds, braving freezing nights and coping with food shortages, animals have a host of tricks that get them through the chilly times. So grab a blanket and let's spill nature's winter survival secrets.

The bear necessities

When the long cold months arrive, what if you could forget about school, sports and even eating, and instead just cuddle up nice and warm. The winter could pass while you are pleasantly dreaming through the deepest of sleeps. The only alarm would be spring cracking through the cold. If this all sounds like a dream come true, then you could be a great hibernator. Arguably the most famous hibernators are bears, packing on the pounds during the autumn so they can snooze in a cave for the long frozen months —but did you know that bears are not true hibernators? In order to enter into a proper hibernation, an animal's body temperature and heart rate must drop to conserve energy and they will sleep until the cold months are behind them. However, bears occasionally wake from their slumber to gather more food. Also, their body temperatures bear-ly (dad joke alert!) drop. Other animals, such as bats, can enter this hibernation-like state every night to conserve energy. These short stints in deep slumber are referred to as torpor.

One species of bear that doesn't sleep the winter away is the polar bear. Instead, they are well adapted to their snowy homes. They have hollow fur - each hair has a gap inside it- which gives them extra insulation from the cold.

Sleep for survival